WYOMING – Write this number down, stick it on the fridge. Program it in your phone’s contacts. The Wyoming Poison Center’s toll-free number is 1-800-222-1222.
The center handled more than 5,000 cases of poisoning in 2016. Shireen Banerji, Wyoming Poison Center clinical manager, said “Poisonings can happen anywhere, anytime to anyone. We assume most poisonings happen to children who accidentally swallow something, and, yes, there are plenty of those situations. But adults can be poisoned at home or work by chemicals, pesticides, cleaners, bites and stings, medications and food.”
The 800 number does not replace 911 if a victim is in need of immediate critical care, but the number comes in handy when someone is just not sure about what to expect from accidental exposure to poisonous chemicals, ingestion of pharmaceuticals, and other typical calls the center regularly handles daily.
Poisoning is the leading cause of death by injury in Wyoming, according the Wyoming Department of Health emergency medical services manager Andy Gienapp. Getting help fast can make the difference between life and death.
“Poison prevention requires vigilance from all members in the household and extended family, including babysitters, nannies and teachers,” Banerji added.
Fast facts:
- Most poisoning deaths are due to misuse and abuse of licit and illicit drugs.
- In 2015, about 57 percent of all exposure cases involved pharmaceuticals. Other exposures were to household products, plants, mushrooms, pesticides, animal bites and stings, carbon monoxide and many other types of non- pharmaceutical substances.
- Ingestion was the exposure route in almost 84 percent of 2015 cases. People were also exposed through the lungs, skin, eyes and other routes.
For additional poisoning prevention tips and resources, visit Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Center. National Poison Prevention Week is March 19-25, 2017.
